A variety of tool bits, often referred to as burrs, are often used for a plurality of tasks including cutting, grinding, smoothing, grating, and abrading, among other things. Burrs may come in any number of sizes and configurations and are often found used, for example, in conjunction with die grinders, rotary tools, and dentistry drills. Often, burrs have cutting surfaces designed to cut or grind in a predetermined fashion. Burrs typically have optimal operating conditions, such as, for example, preferred rotational speeds that might vary based on the size, weight, shape, and materials thereof. For instance, as burrs increase in size, it may be desirable to rotate at higher rotational speeds than smaller-sized burrs. However, burrs that operate at higher rotational speeds can be challenging to wield.
The field of dentistry has adapted burrs for the particular needs of the industry. Indeed, evidence suggesting the use of primitive drills in early dentistry dates as far back as 7000 B.C. Modern dentistry relies heavily on high speed drills with specially-adapted burrs. For instance, a high speed dental drill with an appropriate burr may be used in such common procedures as removal of tooth decay and shaping tooth structure prior to insertion of a filling or a crown, among other things. In fact, dental drills tend to be so precise that they are often used by jewelers and hobbyists.
One category of dentistry that relies upon drills and burrs is equine dentistry. Equine dentistry presents significant challenges, including but not limited to those posed by the size of horse teeth. For instance, the size of horse teeth necessitates the use of burrs that are larger than those used in traditional dentistry. However, larger burrs may increase the risk of unintentional contact with unintended surfaces, such as soft tissue like cheeks and gums. Larger burrs may also be more difficult to control than traditional dental burrs.
Furthermore, in the field of equine gnathology, and the morphology of equine teeth, it is often necessary to sculpt teeth during prophylactic and equilibration procedures and this may require extensive use of grinding tools. As noted, burr contact with the soft tissues of the animal may cause discomfort and difficulty with the procedures, particularly where extensive sculpting is necessary. Likewise, because of existing designs and sizes most burrs are difficult to introduce into an equine dental arcade battery to address any anomalies present there. In addition, existing burr designs are often difficult to control when sculpting equine teeth to correct dental table angles, arcade steps, transverse ridging, and the like. Additionally, given the typical length of the handpiece, and the large size of the dental arcade, it is often difficult to exert sufficient pressure on, or to exercise sufficient control over, the grinding head of an equine dental tool. Other drawbacks and limitations with existing burrs also exist.